Troops kill 35 terrorists, destroy 12 Boko Haram camps in Sambisa Forest
By Njadvara MUSA, Maiduguri
Troops of the 21-Armoured Brigade, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) and 199 Special Forces Battalion in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have neutralized 35 Boko Haram terrorists with the capture of their Commander in Sambisa Forest of Borno state.
The troops led by Brig-Gen. Victor Unachukwu also destroyed 12 terrorists’ camps with the capture of Alhaji Ba’ana alive, the Commander during a clearance operation in the forest.
A counter-insurgency expert, in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed, yesterday (Sunday), in Maiduguri that Brig-Gen. Unachukwu made an unprecedented incursion into the terrorists’ hideouts to completely eliminate them from hibernating on the fringes of forest.
He said the clearance operation at Awulari on April 17, 2023, progressed further into the insurgents’ camps located in the axis of Garno/Alafa.
Read Also: Gbajabiamila, Betara Mourn Taraba Rep Member-Elect, Maihanci
On how the camps were destroyed, he said: “The troops destroyed several terrorists’ camps before clearing Izzah and Farisu communities on April 19, 2023.
“The ground troops ferociously engaged dozens of the resisting terrorists in a heavy gun battle.
“They eventually overpowered the terrorists after about 30 minutes of fierce gun battle, killing 18 of them.”
According to him, the troops, therefore, recovered several motorcycles, an AK-47 rifles and an Anti-Aircraft gun.
He noted that a member of CJTF unfortunately paid the supreme price of the troops’ clearance operations in the Forest.
He added that after clearing the forest, the troops further moved to Farisu, where they killed eight Boko Haram terrorists.
While in Alafa, three insurgents were gunned down, including the Commander, identified as “Salafi” with the recovery of two motorcycles.
Continued; “In the Ukuba forest Community on April 20, 2023, the soldiers made contact with another set of the insurgents and killed seven of them, while other escaped with gunshot wounds.”
He noted that the troops were able to recover a truck and two 122 artillery guns from the Forest.
He said that the gallant troops moved further to clear Garin Glucose where they neutralized two additional terrorists.
Other terrorists, according to him, however, withdrew hastily to prevent clashing with the approaching ground troops.
He added that the three-day special operations led to the clearing of 12 communities in the forest of Bama local council of Borno state.
“The cleared communities included Garno, Alafa, Alafa D, Garin Doctor, Njumia, Izzah, Farisu, Somalia, Ukuba, Garin Glucose, Garin Ba’aba and Bula Amir in Bama council,” he said.
He said that the rescue operation was also successful with the release of some women held captives of the terrorists.
